Positive response to BUiD's Human Resources Workshop

The University's Human Resource Management (HRM) series "HRM in Practice" commenced with an open workshop which was rapidly inundated with delegates. A busy registration team described it as one of BUiD's best attended public events since the institution was launched in 2004.

Vice-Chancellor Dr. Abdullah M. Alshamsi introduced Mrs. Fatma Al Hashimi, Head of Publication & Documentation Unit, Tanmia, who delivered a detailed progress report on the state of Emiratisation since it emerged as a key objective in the public and private sector. As an aid to the process and policy, it was decreed the post of Human Resources Manager in medium and large organisations should be held by an Emirati.

"By measuring the impact to date of Emiratisation, Tanmia aims to supply employers with the information for effective partnerships in which the participation of Nationals in the workforce can be increased," declared Mrs. Fatma Al Hashimi. "I am grateful to BUiD for providing a forum in which these themes can be explored."

Tanmia's extensive experience in the employment market was used to detail extensively the progress made towards achieving the Emiratisation quotas established in a series of Cabinet Resolutions from the years 1998-2004. The banking sector, which is obliged to increase Emiratisation by four percent per year, was shown to be lagging behind the annual targets, despite almost 30 percent of current bank employees being UAE nationals. In contrast, since 2005 the insurance sector has maintained its minimum five percent quota of Emiratis. Statistics from the end of 2007 also show that trade firms with more than 50 employees have failed to achieve their two percent threshold.

Mr. Robin Harding, an independent coach with over 30 years experience in the oil and gas industry, shifted the picture from the local to the global in his presentation "Challenges for HRM in a Global Environment". His interactive session drew attention to the need for flexibility in a fast-changing world economy, and advocated a shift from transactional - i.e. mainly administrative - approach to HRM to a strategic one.

"Attracting a speaker of Robin's experience is more evidence of the steady success of recent initiatives at the university," said Professor Ashly Pinnington, Dean - Faculty of Business, The British University in Dubai. "I am delighted to see that, in turn, he has helped to attract high-calibre HRM practitioners from across the region, who spent the day sharing their insights and best practice," he added.

The day concluded with more empirical data on UAE-based developments, led by Dr. Abubakr Suliman - the most widely published HRM expert in the Gulf region - and with an afternoon of practical advice from Robin Harding.

BUiD will be conducting a series of 'HRM in Practice' Workshops in the year 2008, on a wide range of Human Resources topics.